Contact element

ABSTRACT

A contact element of formed sheet material secured on the end of an electrical conductor has a lanced out finger by which the contact element is retained in an aperture in a spring-pressed lamp base of a socket. After the contact element is inserted in the aperture the finger engages a shoulder therewithin to prevent the removal of the contact element and conductor therefrom.

[541 CUNTAET ELEMENT [72] I ent r; Don L. De Lano, Mount Clemens, Mich.

[731 Assigneez Microdut inc. [22] Filed: June 22, 1970 [21] Appl. No.: 418,021

[521 US. Cl. ..339/2l7 S, 339/176 L, 339/188 R [51] lint. C1. ..lll0llr 9/08, 110" 33/46 Fieldolfsearch ..339/217,181,188,48,176L,

339/177 L, 184 L, 119 L, 91 L, 93 L, 94 L, 74 L; 52/675, 715; 85/5, 80; 267/161, 182

[56] References tlited UNITED STATES PATENTS 3,021,503 2/1962 Hopkins et a1 ..339/213 3,098,687 7/1963 Fitzgerald ..339/188 R 3,325,775 6/1967 Zak ..339/256 3,387,255 6/1968 Earleywine. .339/188 3,417,362 12/1968 Reynolds ..339/17 3,562,698 2/1971 Merry .,339/2l7 S 3,178,673 4/1965 Krehbiel ..339/217 S 3,083,351 3/1963 Nielsen ..339/217 S 2,494,845 1/1950 Wagstaff ..339/181 R X FORElGN PATENTS OR APPLICATIONS 335,384 9/1930 Great Britain ..339/188 242,408 1 1/ 1925 Great Britain ..339/188 Primary Examiner-Marvin A. Champion Assistant Examiner-Robert A. Hafer Attarney-1-1arness, Dickey and Pierce [57] ABSTCT A contact element of formed sheet material secured on the end of an electrical conductor has a lanced out finger by which the contact element is retained in an aperture in a spring-pressed lamp base of a socket. After the contact element is inserted in the aperture the finger engages a shoulder therewithin to prevent the removal of the contact element and conductor therefrom.

4 Claims, 4 Drawing Figures coarser ELEMENT SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION The invention pertains to the formation of a contact element for a lamp bulb base in a socket made from a sheet of conductive spring material which is rolled into a cylinder and formed to have a closed contact end and a wire-receiving extension at the other end. The wire is placed within the extension and is clamped or otherwise secured therein with the insulating material about the wire also clamped thereby. A finger is lanced from the contact element which extends outwardly of the side thereof in position to engage a shoulder in the aperture of the spring-pressed base when the contact element is inserted therein from the bottom end thereof. The contact element is locked within the aperture by the finger with the closed end in position to engage the contact in the base of a lamp bulb when supported within the socket. A pair of the contact elements can be supported in the base if a multiple filament bulb is to be supported in the socket.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWING FIG. 1 is a sectional view of a socket having a contact element on a conductor secured thereto in a manner embodying features of the present invention:

FIG. 2 is a broken sectional view of the structure illustrated in FIG. 1, taken on the line 2--2 thereof:

FIG. 3 is a sectional view of the structure illustrated in FIG. 1, taken on the line 3-3 thereof, and

FIG. 4 is a sectional view of the structure illustrated in FIG. 1, taken on the line 4-4 thereof.

DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENT A socket 11 is constructed from a metal sleeve 12 outwardly flared at 13 on the lamp bulb-receiving end and provided with an inwardly extending flange 14 at the opposite end. Bayonet slots 15 are formed in the wall of the sleeve 12 for the reception of the extending ears on a lamp bulb by which it is secured within the socket. A floating terminal base 16 is inserted within the sleeve 12 from the lamp bulb end thereof having a shoulder 17 engaged by a spring 18 the opposite end of which engages the flange 14. The base 16 is retained within the sleeve by one or a plurality of indentations 19 extending inwardly in the wall of the sleeve 12. The base 16 has an axially disposed aperture 21 which is enlarged at 22 in a manner to provide a shoulder 23 therewithin. The outer end of the aperture 21 is flared at 24 to function as a guide for a terminal element 25 which is to be inserted therein.

The terminal element 25 is formed from a sheet of springlike conducting material which is rolled into a cylinder with the edges abutted along a line 26. A contact-engaging end 27 is formed inwardly to close the end and provide a surface which engages the contact at the base of the lamp bulb. The element 25 has an extension 31 on the end opposite to the end 27 to which a conductor 29 is secured. A conducting core or wires 28 of the conductor 29 and the insulating cover 32 thereof are secured to the extension 31 by fingers which are crimped thereover. The end of a lanced out finger 33 at the side of the contact element 25 engages the shoulder 23 of the aperture 21 when it is inserted therethrough into the position illustrated in the Figs. The further movement of the contact element 25 within the apertures is limited by projecting portions 30 on the wall of the terminal element 25 when engaging the flared portion 24 of the aperture 21. The finger 33 prevents the reverse movement of the contact element 25 from the aperture.

When the lamp bulb is inserted into the sleeve 12 and secured therein by the bayonet slots 15, the contact on the lamp base engages the end 27 of the contact element 25 and urges the base 116 downwardly within the sleeve 12 against the tension of the spring 18 thereby providing a pressure engagement between the end 27 and the lamp bulb contact. While the base 116 is herein illustrated as supporting one of the contact elements 25 for a single filament bulb, it is to be understood that a pair of the contact elements can be supported by the base 16 so that a two-filament bulb can be energized thereby. In this arrangement, an inwardly extending lip 34 would be provided on the flange 14 and a slot 35 provided in the wall of the base 16 which would receive the lip 34 for orienting the base relative to the bayonet slots 15 or by other known relationships commonly employed. It will be noted that tangs 36 are provided on the outer end of the finger 33 which strike the edge of the lanced out area to prevent the finger from being deflected into the area.

I claim:

l. A contact element for the base of a socket formed as a cylinder with one end closed and with a finger lanced therefrom and extending outwardly of the wall thereof, a conductor secured to the open end of the contact element in fixed conducting relationship thereto, said finger having tangs formed outwardly of the side edges thereof to prevent the finger from moving into the struck-out area of the cylinder.

2. A contact element as recited in claim 1, wherein projections are provided in the wall of the contact element extending outwardly thereof for limiting the inward movement of the element into the aperture in the base while permitting substantial longitudinal movement therein.

3. A contact element as recited in claim 2, wherein the shoulder in the base is provided by the enlargement of one end of the aperture thereof which is engaged by the finger of the contact element when inserted in the opposite end of the aperture, said opposite end diverging outwardly for guiding the closed end of the contact element into the aperture in thebase.

4. A contact element as recited in claim 3, wherein said socket has an inwardly extending annular flange through which the base projects, and wherein said base is oriented within the socket by an inwardly extending finger on the flange projecting into a groove in the base. 

1. A contact element for the base of a socket formed as a cylinder with one end closed and with a finger lanced therefrom and extending outwardly of the wall thereof, a conductor secured to the open end of the contact element in fixed conducting relationship thereto, said finger having tangs formed outwardly of the side edges thereof to prevent the finger from moving into the struck-out area of the cylinder.
 2. A contact element as recited in claim 1, wherein projections are provided in the wall of the contact element extending outwardly thereof for limiting the inward movement of the element into the aperture in the base while permitting substantial longitudinal movement therein.
 3. A contact element as recited in claim 2, wherein the shoulder in the base is provided by the enlargement of one end of the aperture thereof which is engaged by the finger of the contact element when inserted in the opposite end of the aperture, said opposite end diverging outwardly for guiding the closed end of the contact element into the aperture in the base.
 4. A contact element as recited in claim 3, wherein said socket has an inwardly extending annular flange through which the base projects, and wherein said base is oriented within the socket by an inwardly extending finger on the flange projecting into a groove in the base. 